P R Dasmunshi's wife locked in a tough electoral battle in Raigunj

Delimitation and the image of ailing union minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi are important factors for the Congress in the Raiganj Lok Sabha seat, while for the CPI(M) the disadvantage is its candidate is not familiar to the people.

Shifting to Raigunj in North Bengal in 1999, P R Dasmunshi had won the seat twice. In 2004 he had won by a margin of 39,157 votes.

After delimitation, two new assembly segments, Hemtabad and Chakulia have been included in Raigunj, as also Kaliagunj which was earlier with the neighbouring Balurghat constituency.

Of the seven assembly segments, three Kaliagunj, Islampur and Karandighi -- are with the CPI-M and its Left Front partner Forward Bloc, while the Congress has Raigunj and Goalpokhar, which is currently represented by P R Dasmunshi's wife, Deepa Dasmunshi, who is contesting the parliamentary election. Hemtabad and Chakulia are the newly-created assembly segments.

Twelve candidates, including BJP's Gopesh Chandra Sarkar, have been constesting from Raigunj.